Fadi Zaghmout

Social movements in the Arab world have been plagued by the political power play of the Arab leaders and their regimes. Military coups left them wary of any social movement that would gain ground in the street and threaten their leadership. They have been short sighted, and for the fear of their chairs, they ended up destroying social communities, suppressing freedom of speech and killing the dreams of many Arab people who were merely looking for a better future.

Is everyone after the helm? I don’t think so. People would be happy and content having a wise leader taking them forward. Ofcourse, there should be some security measurement to guarantee the stability of a state, after all we all don’t want an insane person to take the lead, do we? But at the same time people need a space to work in, people need freedom to express their opinions and the ability to work for imporving their communities. Good leaders are the one who build on that and support it rather than suppress it.

For ages, Jordanian social communities have been wary of forming any kind of movement, but today things are different. There is a leadership awarnace of the importance of social communities for the progress of the country. There is some kind of support and encouragement for people to get in and help in the development of their sub communities. I guess that we have reached a level of maturity that allows us to gain some social grounds.

Jesus Crist has been the person who had the greatest impact on my thinking and personal beliefs, and while I am not a religious person and don’t really care about his holy nature. I do admire him as a man with a mission of love.

It is the method of his social mission that I value the most. His way of preaching for social change without residing to building power and taking over authority. Something we desperatly need to learn in our societies today.

Real social activits are the ones looking for real social change and not leadership.